Presently, when harvesting cotton, in many instances, it is desirable to harvest as many rows of cotton plants as possible during a pass of a harvesting machine through a field of cotton plants. It is now common for as many as 6 rows of plants to be simultaneously picked from both sides. Typically, a cotton harvesting machine includes a plurality of side-by-side ducts extending from the picker units of the harvesting apparatus to an inlet opening of a cotton receiver. Some cotton receivers are baskets and may, or may not, include apparatus for compacting cotton received therein to some extent. Typically, such baskets have an overall width which is about equal to the maximum allowed width of a vehicle for unescorted travel over public roads, which is about 12 feet in the USA. The ducts extending in side-by-side relation from the picker units are typically positioned to propel flows of cotton and air through an elongate inlet opening extending across all or much of the sideward extent of the upper front end of the basket. Thus, the overall sideward extent of the plurality of side-by-side ducts at their interface with the cotton receiving basket can be about equal to, or only marginally smaller than, the sideward extent of the upper region of the basket itself, for side-by-side flows of cotton into the basket. The flows of air from the ducts are typically strong enough to carry at least some of the cotton through the upper region of the basket into a rear region of the interior thereof. The basket can include cotton compacting and distributing apparatus therein, such as a frame carrying one or more augers rotatable in one or both rotational directions for distributing the cotton within a lower region of the basket, to the extent desired or required. Typically, when a cotton basket is filled to its capacity with cotton, the cotton is unloaded into another basket or other device for transport to a storage location or a gin. A common disadvantage of cotton baskets is that the cotton is not densely compacted, such that, when unloaded, it is not in a unitary, free standing state, and therefore, requires further handling which is not as efficient both costwise and timewise.
More recently, cotton harvesting machines have been equipped with cotton receivers known as cotton module builders, and also cotton packagers, which receive the cotton from the plurality of side-by-side ducts, and include compacting and distributing apparatus operable for compacting the cotton in a cotton compacting chamber of the module builder or packager into a cohesive, unitary body or module of compacted cotton. Herein, the terms module builder and packager are to be interpreted interchangeably. The cotton distributing and compacting apparatus typically includes at least one auger rotatable for conveying cotton through the compactor and distributing the cotton in a desired manner or pattern within the module building chamber. Such a cotton module can be unloaded from the module builder onto the ground or another surface in a free standing, unitary state, for storage and eventual transport to a gin for processing. Typically, such cotton modules have dimensions including a length of about 16 feet, and a width at the bottom and height of between about 7 and 9 feet. A completed cotton module can have a weight of up to about 11,000 pounds. It has been found to be desirable for the upper region of a cotton compacting chamber to have a sideward extent which is substantially less than that of a completed module, such that the upper portion of a module compacted in the chamber will have a corresponding smaller sideward extent. Then, when the module is removed from the chamber, due to springiness of the compacted cotton, the upper region of the module typically expands sidewardly, such that the module will have a more rectangular shape.
As a result, it has been found to be desirable for the cotton compacting chamber of a cotton module builder to have opposing side walls which taper convergingly from a floor in the chamber to an upper region of the chamber into which the cotton is received from the side-by-side plurality of ducts. The sideward extent or width of the cotton compacting chamber at the upper end can possibly be as small as from about 3 to about 6 feet for forming a module having a base width of about 7 to 9 feet. It is desirable to have as large as possible width available for the side-by-side array of ducts delivering cotton to the upper region of the cotton module builder, for instance, up to the maximum width of a machine for travel over public roads receiving basket, or about 12 feet, such that disassembly, folding or the like, of the ducts is not required for travel over public roads. As a result, a disparity can exist between the sideward extent of the incoming flows of air and cotton, which will be equal to the sideward extent of the array of ducts, and the possible sideward extent of the upper region of the cotton receiving chamber through which the cotton is to pass enroute to the chamber.
Still further, it is desirable for cotton harvesters including module builders to have a height or upward extent in an operational mode which is significantly greater than that which is allowed for travel over public roads, but not so great so as to pose a danger of tipping. Therefore, a cotton module builder typically must be vertically collapsible from an operational height to a storage or travel height. Presently, known cotton module builders include an upper module builder structure which is telescopically movable upwardly and downwardly relative to a lower module builder structure, for configuring in an operational mode, and in a travel or storage mode. When placing the module builder in the travel or storage mode, it is desirable that any cotton receiving and densification structure not require time consuming assembly, disassembly, folding or unfolding.
Thus, what is sought is cotton receiving and densification apparatus for a cotton module builder, which provides the advantages and overcomes one or more of the problems and shortcomings set forth above.